The so-called Lane Changing Assistant (LCA) is known from the state of the art. The Lane Changing Assistant is supposed to warn the driver of imminent collisions when he or she changes the traffic lane. The Lane Changing Assistant is usually switched on by activating the flashing direction indicator by the driver, monitors the adjacent traffic lane for potential collision objects, and warns the driver when there is a vehicle in the monitored region.
The Lane Changing Support (LCS) represents a further development. When the driver changes the traffic lane, the Lane Changing Support actively supports the driver by automatically intervening in the steering gear in order to prevent an imminent collision with vehicles in the blind spot on the adjacent traffic lane.
Finally, Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) are known from the state of the art. They warn a driver when he or she leaves his or her own traffic lane obviously unintentionally. Lane Keeping Systems (LKS) go one step further. They can actively intervene in the steering gear in order to prevent the driver from unintentionally leaving his or her own traffic lane. In particular, vehicles are centered in the middle of the traffic lane by the calculated application of steering torques. Both LDW and LK systems are usually deactivated temporarily by switching the flashing direction indicator on since said switch-on operation indicates a change of the traffic lane intended by the driver and no intervention in the steering gear is desired.
Furthermore, so-called comfort flashers or flasher assistants are known from the state of the art. Here, a driver just has to actuate the direction indicator briefly. The direction is then indicated about three or four times, and after that the direction indicator is switched off automatically. However, the disadvantage of said comfort flashers or flasher assistants consists in the fact that the direction indicator is switched off too early in some situations, e.g. when it takes a long time to change the traffic lane, in particular when the speed is high and when the traffic lane is not changed immediately.